Wrench



Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

r OFF 4.

nrnon nnnon heaven, or ULYSSES, nnBnAsKA WRENCH? Application filed April 8,1925. Serial No.'21,649.'

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly vto sliding jaw wrenches. The object of the invention is to provide al-wrench of this character, the jaws of which may be quickly and easily set and when set 'will hold like a vise.

Another object is to provide a wrench of 'this character which will hold and turn to the right or left and will not drop off of the object gripped when the hands are removed therefrom.

With the foregoing a other j in view which will appear as the description wrench constructed in accordance with this invention with the jaws shown closed and in locked position, parts being broken out to illustrate obscure parts;

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the jaws in open position, ready to receive the object to be gripped; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment illustrated the wrench constituting this invention comprises a handle 1 in the form of a metal bar sufficiently heavy to withstand all strains to which it may be subjected and on the front end of which are riveted or otherwise fixedly secured two laterally spaced metal bars 2 and 3 to be secured to-opposite faces of the handle member 1 as is shown'clearly in Fig. 3 and which extend beyond opposite sides of said handle and are riveted or otherwise connected at their outer ends as shown at 4 and handle.

4, the rivet 4 also operating'as a fulcrum for a cam lever 10 to be hereinafter more fully described.

Slidably mounted between the bars 2 and 3 at opposite sides of the handle 1 are two gripping jaws 5 and 6 having their inner faces cut out as shown at 7 to conform to the shape of the handle end in connection with which they are used, so that when the jaws are closed they will fit snuglyaround said Beyond the cut out portions 7 on their meeting or opposed faces these jaws are provided with straight gripping faces Y 8 at the'lnner ends of which are formed semi- I circular toothed pipe orrod' engaging recesses whlch wliengripped around the p pe or rod will-securelyhold it against turning.

The outer faces or edges of these jaws-5 TI and 6 are curved or'roun'ded as shown at 11,

said jaws gradually increasing in' thickness or width from their :inner ends toward their center so that when they aremoved inwardly to the position shownin Fi 1' they will be moved toward each other-by the engagement of their curved edges with connecting elements 4 and when so positioned may be locked by engagement of a locking tooth or pawl carried by the free end of the lever 10 which is designed toengage with ratchet teeth 12 formed in the outer edge ofjaw 6 near its inner end. This ratchet rack 12 may be of any desiredlength. This lever 10 which constitutesthe locking means for the jaws is made in theform of a cam lever, the cam, portion 14 of which isdesigned to engage the outer edge of jaw 6 when the lever is in locked position as shown in Fig.1, while the body portion of the lever is bowed outwardly and provided at its free end with an inturned tooth'or spur 13 which constitutes the pawl for engaging the rack 12 for lOCklllg said lever in adjusted position.

The inner or rear ends of the jaws 5 and 6 are pivotally connected with each other by links 15 and 16 arranged .on opposite sides of the handle 1 and secured together and to the jaws by rivets or pintles 1?.

Two flat springs 18 are secured to the opposits edges of the handle 1 as shown clearly in Fig. 2 and exert their tension to normally force the jaws 5 and 6 apart so that when the lever 10 is released the jaws will; be'opened by said springs.

It is of course understood that this wrench may be made of differentsizes according to the work for which it is intended.

In the use of this wrench the jaws being shown in open position as illustrated in Fig. 2 they are placed overthe object to be gripped thereby and the handlel moved forwardly causing'the bars 2 and 3 and their connectors 4 to forcibly move said jaws toward each other into gripping engagement 7 with theobject between them and when they:

have been securely engaged with said object the lever 10 is swung into locking position as shown in Fig. 1 and secured by engaging the tooth 13 thereof with the ratchet 'llO rack lVhen in this position the article 1 will" be securelygripped and obviously the t hands ofthe usermay be removed from the wrench without its dropping from the object.

r j'lt rlnay' be turned either toward the left ortherrightaccording to the wishes of vthe iuserand when it is desired to release the object from the wrench-the leVe r lO is swung "outwardly causing the cam head 14 thereof toydisengagejaw 6 which under'the action of the; springs '18 move, outwardly into open position as shown in Fig; 2.

From the. above description it will be obadjacent to one end thereof, said bars being held in spaced relation by the handle portion, rivetsconnecting the bars adjacent to their ends to close the ends of the bars,

jaws having inclined outer edges and having their inner edges cutaway to receive the handle portion, means for connecting the inner ends of the jaws to permit the jaws to slide longitudinally of the handle portion,

one of said jaws having teeth, a pivoted member having a cam portion at one end, carried by the bars and cooperating with the outer edge ofone ofthe jaws for moving'th jaw associated therewith inwardly, said lever being curved, and the freeend of said lever being iormed into a tooth to engage the first mentioned teeth to hold the jaws in their positions of adjustment. v In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature.-

BYRONR BEAVER. v p 

